ExxonMobil slipped with more fines in the US for environmental crimes
… he will also have to spend US $ 10M to ‘clean up his act’
Kaieteur News – Yesterday the U.S. Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Illinois agreed to an amendment to the Clean Air Act (CAA) 2005 consent decree signed with ExxonMobil Oil Corporation, to solve crimes at its petroleum refinery in Joliet.
Under the new agreement, it “requires ExxonMobil to clean up its operation and pay penalties for its past crimes,” according to Acting Assistant Attorney General Jean E. Williams of the Environment Division and Natural Resources (ENRD) of the Justice Department.
“EPA and our Illinois state partner deserve credit for policing ExxonMobil’s compliance with the Clean Air Act and our previous settlement with the company.”
Under the consent decree amendment, ExxonMobil will pay US $ 1,515,463 in penalties, US $ 1,086,640 to the federal government and US $ 428,823 to the State of Illinois.
The reform also includes an estimated US $ 10 million of improvements to reduce air emissions from the facility.
“I am pleased that the agreement announced today (yesterday) with ExxonMobil will reduce air emissions from their Joliet refinery,” said Acting Assistant Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Administrator Larry Starfield of the EPA.
“The result will be cleaner air for communities in Illinois and lower environmental impacts.”
The consent decree amendment will reduce air pollution by upgrading and improving and address violations of the 2005 consent decree and the CAA.
ExxonMobil will make physical and operational changes to its sulfur recovery plant that will reduce hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide emissions and meet a lower sulfur dioxide emission limit at its northern sulfur recovery unit.
ExxonMobil will also make physical and operational changes to the emission controls for its Liquid Catalytic Cracking Unit, also referred to as the FCCU, and will meet lower emission limits for sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides at the FCCU.
To combat leak detection and repair violations, ExxonMobil will update its program to include procedures for monitoring valves covered with insulation or inside fireboxes.
ExxonMobil will also use an optical gas imaging camera to monitor its open-ended lines for leaks.
To address breaches of ongoing emission monitoring systems, ExxonMobil will develop a comprehensive plan to ensure its implementation and compliance with regulatory requirements.
The announced settlement, submitted to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, will be subject to a 30-day public comment period after notice of the settlement is published in the Federal Register.